I affirm this fact as we sat down at the expansive table in his office. But I’m not here to talk about football or Auburn. I’m here to talk about leadership. I’m here to talk about making a difference in the lives of young men. I’m here to talk about purpose.

Ethel Jean

Long before Mason was chasing responsibility, he was learning it from his mother, Ethel Jean.

Mason’s father left when Derek was young. He left behind an example of “free living,” Mason says. But “free living” wasn’t going to raise a family. Ethel Jean was.

And Ethel Jean was hard because she had to be – she was both mother and father. She didn’t shirk responsibility. When Mason’s youth-league football coach had to take a leave of absence early one season, Ethel May took over and the team reeled off five consecutive wins.

A stepfather later entered Derek’s life, bringing military values and providing a great male role model.